Conscious Beauty And Beautiful Minds: Interview w/ Tammy Fender
Tammy Fender is a holistic pioneer, and renowned aesthetician, who has guided clients into wellness and natural radiance for over two decades. She’s known for a devoted celebrity following who make their way to the treatment room at her legendary West Palm Beach Spa, and for her award-winning natural skin care collection.
When beginning her own practice in Palm Beach, many of her clients were looking for pre- or post-operative care, which required an all-natural approach. Having studied natural holistic healing all over the world, she began blending her own pure, luxurious botanical formulas as custom-made treatments to meet her client’s needs. And thanks to the success of those early formulas, the word spread — and spread! Each of the collection’s products has come about as a result of working hands-on in the Spa Treatment Room with clients to meet their needs.
What was the first beauty routine you adopted as a child or teenager? Which emotions do you connect with this memory?
I’ve loved plants and being out in nature since I was a little girl, staring up at my grandmother’s grapevines while the other kids were off playing kickball. We lived near a rolling hill with a little creek at the bottom, and on hot summer afternoons my cousins and I dug into the reddish clay and made clay masks for ourselves. I had no idea, of course, just how good that clay is for your skin!
CONSCIOUS BEAUTY — What meaning do you give this term?
As a holistic practitioner, I believe that conscious beauty is part of an intricate web of wellness, which encompasses our physical health, our emotional and spiritual wellbeing and the impact we make on the planet. I express my understanding of conscious beauty through careful, thoughtful ingredient sourcing and through our artisanal fabrication process, as well the ways we package our products. Everything we do reflects this beautiful relationship between our skin, our inner state, the plants, and our planet.
Which aspects of sustainability in beauty are especially important to you?
I view all life as interconnected, and for me caring for the skin and caring for the Earth are part of the same gesture. As a company we strive daily to do our part in becoming more green and more clean. We do not use exterior packaging, in order to reduce waste, and our jars and bottles are recyclable. At the same time, we honor the plant kingdom and care for the skin by sharing nature’s purest, and most transformative ingredients in our formulations. We’re unwavering in our commitment to the integrity of each ingredient used in our blends, ensuring responsible protection for so many of the plant species we rely on.
When do you consciously feel beautiful?
I felt so beautiful when I was pregnant with each one of my kids, which were born when I was in my 20s, my 30s and my 40s. Of course, in part that was because I took such good care of myself and, obviously, wanted to nurture each of my babies. I was so focused on my own health and wellbeing during those months. I felt truly beautiful.
Did your approach to beauty change within the last 1–2 years?
Over the past several years I’ve noticed that so many clients’ skin has become more reactive, developing sensitivities as we all try to adapt to worldwide changes and a stunning new pace. Facing these new challenges — encompassing technology use, diet, exercise, stress and rest — has shown me so much about the power of ancient plant remedies. I created Plant Milk Serum to dissolve stress in sensitive skin with a wealth of remedies revered for their ability to help calm irritation and redness.
How would you like to see the image of beauty change within the next 5 years?
I love how much the beauty industry has grown over the past 5 years, embracing natural beauty in so many ways. The next step is to come into a fuller understanding of what supports radiance — it’s a full lifestyle approach, encompassing diet, movement, good rest, stress reduction and lots of laughter.
What or who inspires your beauty routine?
My mother has taught me so much about simplicity, both through her minimalist skin care routine, and through her pure love and her simple, loving lifestyle. Staying simple with it all is one of the ways we can reduce stress. Naturally, that’s a huge help to the skin but also makes life more sweet all around.
What is your best beauty advice to others?
Simplify. In my treatment room, I work with pure and precious plant remedies, which form the base of my skin care collection, but I also work with clients to make those subtle lifestyle changes that enhance overall wellbeing, and shine through a glowing complexion. Usually, my recommendations are more about simplifying, rather than adding to the routine — removing the disruptive foods from the diet, clearing time to manage stress.
THANK YOU!
Follow Tammy Fender on Instagram.
Demee Koch about the MEDIUM interview series on CONSCIOUS BEAUTY:
Hello! I am a serial entrepreneur with more than 2 decades of experience in the health & beauty industry. This interview series is intended to create awareness about the movement of Conscious Beauty.
We are in a beautiful time of Conscious Beauty — you may have heard of this term, but what does Conscious Beauty mean, and why does it matter?
For us, beauty is a way to love — it is about self-care, art, nutrition, exercise, life, self-love. I invite you to become part of a movement that re-defines beauty. Let’s empower beautiful minds.
Thank you for being the change. I’m looking forward to learn from you. Reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Demee ❤︎
